RE: [Evolution] huge RPMs

[Joe Shaw <joe helixcode com>]

> So why provide libgal.a in gal devel if it is moving target?

Well, if you build against a static library, then you don't have to worry
about your applications breaking when a new one comes out that changes the
API. If anything, it's a reason to include it. Of course, the next time
you build it you'll have to fix your applications, but that comes with the
territory.

> Developers really don't use rpms, they always use source.

I use a lot of devel debian packages (which are set up exactly like devel
RPMs). Most notable is libc-dev. I certainly don't build my libc from
source. 

> I try to make rpms from tarballs with rpm -tb xxx.tgz,
> but it is not possible with all tgzs (bad spec files, especially
> for ORBit - how do you make rpms btw?).

Our build system generates RPM spec files on the fly. They should be
included in our source RPMs.

> But I DO want to compile Evolution myself - that's why I
> need -devel rpms.

That's true, if you're building the Evolution tarball you should get all
of the other tarballs as well. I'd recommend just getting the SRPMs,
though, as it's quite a bit easier (as I mentioned about the spec files).
If you're building Evolution from CVS, I would suggest getting all of its
libraries from CVS too, as changes in Evolution may depend on changes in
other libraries as well.

Joe